Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-10

( aunt with an affectionate kiss and hug,
and followed her to the room made ready
for her.
A 1.-the, willowy figure, "a dark, spark
ling face, winning smile, and yivacious
manner.
Mehetabel Bentleys heart went out to
her sisters child at once. How much she
resembled Margaret The tears came into
her eyes as she left the room and went
down stairs to prepare something nice and
palatable for supper.
Thus domiciled, Lucy glanced carelessly
about the room. How pretty 1t was; how
neat, with its dainty white curtains at the
window, its looking-glass garnished with
branches of apple-bloom a claw-footed ia
| bic against the wall, with a high, antique
| vase thereon, in which a handful or two
| of green leaves were artistically arranged,
| and in one dim corner a bed, fragrant with
lavender and mint, which the girl at first
mistook for snow-drift, 50 pure, so spot
lessly white was it.
What cool, inviting spot" she muir
INJURED it puts me in mind of the dear
old home. Aunt is so kind | do not think
l shall be a bit homesick."
When the cleaning fell they were all
| gathered together in the coy little sitting
| room-Aunt Mehetabel and her three
nieces.
The girls were totally dissimilar in looks
Rachel was tall and naughty. She had a
| complexion of lilies and roses, turquoise
blue eyes and red-gold hair, which was
| frizzed and tortured in the prevailing
fashion. As Guy Winters was expected,
she had made herself as beautiful as pos
sible A blue silk dress draped her stylish
figure; jeweled butterfly sat perched in
her hair; at her throat and in her ears
were silver ornaments.
Celia, too, was tall, but her figure was
too much inclined to e,nboRpOim for grace
fulness. She was dark as an Egyptian, not
in the least pretty, and her manner was
affected and disagreeable. She was attired
in garnet silk, with plenty of lace yellowed
by age, for she was vain enough to think
she might enslave Guy Winters.
Lucy, on the contrary, was as natural
and simple as her name. She had bright
piquant face, lighted by lustrous dark eyes,
a sweet, red mouth that looked as if it
were meant to be kissed, and flow of dun
brown hair in which there was no CLEAN
of gold. Clad simply in some neutral
tinted material that fitted her slim shape
TO a nicely, with knot of the lilies-of-the-
valley clinging to her throat, she was not
girl to pass by with a single glance. One
enjoyed looking at her, even though she
said not word; buV when she began to
talk, and her face lighted up, she was for
the time being positively beautiful.
All sat there listening to Aunt Meheta-
bel. She was speaking in a calm, DELHI
crate way, wholly unnatural to her. |
did not send for you, girls, without a rea-
son. | limited it in my letter. Let me be
more explicit. In my younger days | was
engaged to Hugh Winters. For some rea-
son, it is unnecessary to state what, the
match was broken off. Hugh married
some one else. a son was given them On
the broad face of the earth there is not a
creature that the old maid loves as she
does him. l wish him to inherit my prop
erty. expect him here tonight. Now,
as he must marry some day, would rather
he be married to a niece of mine than to
stranger. There's no necessity to beat
about the bush; the one he falls in love
with will be rich mans wife. Rachel"
with a piercing glance at the girl who sat
toying with the pendants to her bracelet,
. are you prepared to be his wife if he de-
SlIeS II
There was a hush in the room. The
lilac outside swayed its branches across
the window, whispering an unintelligible
tale; the black shadows of night fell over
the cottage and ran silently athwart the
face of the earth All waited her an
swer.
In clear, unembarrassed voice, not
only distinctly audible to the three women
within, but to the young man without,
who with valise in hand, had halted
meath the nodding lilac plumes to take a
peep in the sitting-room ere entering, she
said:
" I'm perfectly willing, aunt. I've seen
the gentleman's photograph, and his face
suits me. Yes, if he proposes, | shall
accept him. | will be his wife"
The words, so unblushingly delivered,
cause a bit of surprise to all They were
not prepared, even Aunt Mehetabel, for
so forward a reply. She merely said:
You have spoken to the point, Rachel
You are a girl of sense. Celia, what do
yeu say? Are you ready to accede to my
proposition and become, if you have the
chance, Guy Winters wife ?"
Again came an instantaneous response
sense, YOU say, with beauty and brains and
folded hands, passive, and allow Rachel
to ensnare him in the meshes of the net
she proposes to weave, but shall earnestly
beauty, have what is infinitely better, a
well-balanced mind. If he passes me by
and takes her, he is fool p
The man crouching at the foot of the
lilac, dropped his valise in CONSERVATION
Was he to become the prey of one of those
bold-faced women? Was his fate to be
thus summarily disposed of, and he to have
no voice in the matter? What reply would
the third one make? Somehow he was
anxious to hear it.
She sat there bit apart from the rest,
with dropping head and downcast eyes,
the roses coming and going in her cheeks
a girl with the grace and beauty of a wood
land flower.
When the question was presented her
she raised her small head proudly and in
dignantly said: Il decline the honor.
shall not enter into the lists against my
cousins. The beauty of one, the superior
mind of the other, ought to be attractions
enough for the gentleman. / am too insig-
nifcant blossom for him to be plucked;
and, if even should l find favor in his eyes,
/ would never marry a man purposely
to win fortune. He must be sadly in
want of spirit-a mere shadow of a man
If he, to please you and become your
heir, offers his hand to one of us.
am poor country girl, obliged to teach
district school for livelihood, but l would
scorn man, had he the riches of Cresus,
the persuasive tongue of a st. John, if he
wanted to marry me without love-"
How her eyes flashed. How mutinous
grew her red, sweet mouth. To be so cru
ely misunderstood was more than Guy
Winters could bear. In trice he stood in
the doorway, true specimen of manhood,
tall, grandly handsome; his blue eyes
flashing with excitement.
He scarcely greeted Aunt Mehetabel,
ere he began; beg your pardon, ladies'
but l overheard your gratuitous remarks
concerning myself. l decline the honor
the Misses Bentley would confer upon me-
with thanks"
Here he executed a profound, hooking
salaam, much to the discontinue of the
two ladies, who felt as if they would like to
box his ears ; and then turned in the di-